as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the playful competition over who would get the new office turned into a real dogfight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dogfight
Following that incident, analysts wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Turkish-Israeli mock dogfights, not unlike the recurring Turkish-Greek ones over the Aegean Sea, occurring over Syria, especially if Israel and Turkey’s opposing policies in that country diverge even further.
—
Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
In a low, twisting, turning dogfight, the P-40 would lose.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
What used to be a season of racking up Top 10s and Top Fives is now a weekly dogfight for every position.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2025
The match, described as a ‘dogfight’ by Flanagan, was decided by the forwards, with Bond scoring a pushover try, the game’s only score.
—Peter Carline, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
In a low, twisting, turning dogfight, the P-40 would lose.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
What used to be a season of racking up Top 10s and Top Fives is now a weekly dogfight for every position.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2025
The match, described as a ‘dogfight’ by Flanagan, was decided by the forwards, with Bond scoring a pushover try, the game’s only score.
—Peter Carline, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfight
Noun
-
And, in the short term, if history is any guide, a little friendly rivalry between teams will only accelerate progress.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Prestige revolves around a rivalry between two magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) in turn-of-the-20th century London.—
Kirk Honeycutt,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lima, Peru Reuters — Peru’s President Jose Jeri declared on Tuesday a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and the neighboring province of Callao, saying the move was to battle rising crime.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Hubbard has a track record of moving the chains effectively, which was necessary in a game that was going to be mostly a defensive battle.—
Mike Kaye
October 21,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Emotions ran high throughout the matchup, fueled by the back-and-forth nature of the duel, as veteran quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers led their respective squads in a bid for victory.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Prediction Robertson and Hoover have one of the nation’s best quarterback duels, but a healthier Baylor squad pulls out a 38-35 win over the Horned Frogs.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Only a few months ago Salah was deservedly collecting a stack of individual awards after a remarkable campaign which yielded 57 goal involvements (34 goals, 23 assists) in all competitions.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The Courier Journal caught up with Zipperle to find out why Cornbread Hemp took home the New Ideas Award in the 2025 Top Workplaces competition.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As drone warfare evolves, the service aims to field layered defenses capable of protecting maneuver units against everything from quadcopters to cruise missiles.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The same is true of modern warfare.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While the Blues’ defensive struggles certainly can be pinned on one player, rookie Logan Mailloux is fighting it.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
In recent years, the Brit had been open about his struggles with alcohol, drugs and depression.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The blackout at the power plant, occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the war, marked the tenth time the site lost connection to the grid since the military conflict began, according to the IAEA.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
-
From trade wars to cyber threats, these forces have moved from the margins to the center of strategic decision-making.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Boyles eventually swatted the camera from his face, leading to a physical confrontation.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
But a lot was riding on the success of Back to the Future for Fox, who was caught in the middle of the tense confrontation.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfight. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share